Michele Bachmann opposes freedom, blames Obama

Apparently supporting dictators in the Middle East is what a President Bachmann would do:

Rep. Michele Bachmann blamed President Barack Obama's stand on Israeli-Palestinian peace talks for the uprisings against autocratic governments across the Arab world. "You want to know why we have an Arab Spring? Barack Obama has laid the table for an Arab Spring by demonstrating weakness from the United States of America," she said.

(Note: This is on the front page because this idiot made these comments in Concord, NC, in her efforts to squeeze money and support out of the people of our state.)

And of course, if you're in the South and you want to inflame a Conservative audience, all you have to do is mention Jimmy Carter:

"Just like Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s didn't have the back of the Shah of Iran, we saw the Shah fall and the rise of the Ayatollah. And we saw the rise and the beginnings of radical Jihad which have changed this world and changed this nation," she added.

In case any of you younger (or Conservative) readers fail to see the irony of Bachmann's nostalgic Shah worship, here's a little background:

Founded to round up members of the outlawed Tudeh, SAVAK expanded its activities to include gathering intelligence and neutralizing the regime's opponents. An elaborate system was created to monitor all facets of political life. For example, a censorship office was established to monitor journalists, literary figures, and academics throughout the country; it took appropriate measures against those who fell out of line. Universities, labor unions, and peasant organizations, among others, were all subjected to intense surveillance by SAVAK agents and paid informants. The agency was also active abroad, especially in monitoring Iranian students who publicly opposed Pahlavi rule.

Over the years, SAVAK became a law unto itself, having legal authority to arrest and detain suspected persons indefinitely. SAVAK operated its own prisons in Tehran (the Komiteh and Evin facilities) and, many suspected, throughout the country as well. SAVAK's torture methods included electric shock, whipping, beating, inserting broken glass and pouring boiling water into the rectum, tying weights to the testicles, and the extraction of teeth and nails. Many of these activities were carried out without any institutional checks.

Speaking of torture, here are a few words from another Republican:

Her remarks contrasted with those of senior Republican and former presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., who is leading a delegation of Republican lawmakers to Libya this week.

Speaking in Tripoli on Thursday, he said the Arab Spring-inspired uprising in Libya was "inspiring" people in Iran, Syria and "even in Beijing and Moscow."

"They continue to inspire the world — and let people know that even the worst dictators can be overthrown and be replaced by freedom and democracy," McCain said.

Of course, since McCain failed to win his bid for President, and didn't turn out to be as bat-shit crazy as some on the far Right hoped he would be, I doubt if any voters are paying attention to him now.

But they damned sure need to be paying attention to what Michele Bachmann is saying, and whether or not she envisions an America they want to live in.